Why I'm moving back to GitHub

I left GitHub a few months ago, to the extent possible. I wrote at the time:

Trust is easily lost, but hard won. GitHub has lost my trust, and it will take more than a well-worded blog post to restore that trust...Restoring trust takes time.

Well, time has moved on. They outlined their plans for promoting diversity within and without the company. They introduced to the ability to lock conversations, something diversity advocates have been pushing for some time.

Most recently, they suspended the GamerGate repo. As I wrote a few days ago, GamerGate proponents are severely misguided at best, and flat out sexist harassers at worse. It is a cesspool of misogyny and hate, a cancer on the gaming community. And GitHub came out clearly against it. The people at GitHub are surely aware they could be inviting the wrath of 4chan in retaliation. They stood up against the hate anyways.

I respect that.

Six months ago, I would have fully expected GitHub to take the exact opposite stance, citing "free speech" or openness as the reason for allowing GamerGateOP to stay on GitHub. I wouldn't even have been too surprised if GitHub, or at least certain higher-ups within, publicly supported GamerGate. (Side note: why do people always decry "free speech" on private, non-government systems?)

I am really happy to see the progress that GitHub has made. This is not to say they are perfect, and nothing else can be improved of course. And I always reserve the right to leave them again. I've done it once now, and I know I can do it again if they slide back into being sexist assholes.

I am currently transitioning all my repos to GitHub right now, and I expect to finish sometime today or tomorrow. I will leave my GitLab site up for another week or two before I take it down.

I apologize if this inconveniences anyone. You can always contact me at bryan at theoreticalideations dot com if you need anything.